State Senator Mike Shirkey called in to talk about some of the happenings in our area.

First up was early school startup, “I happen to believe strongly that is a choice the local school districts should be able to make themselves. I have been advocating that we just simply remove the requirement to get a waiver approved from the Michigan Department of Education, and just let schools decide for themselves when they want to start.” Senator Shirkey said. While he hasn’t been successful in that endeavor on a state-wide level, he has been successful in getting it approved for Jackson County-area schools.

Senator Shirkey also updated us on the turn signal situation at 127 South and Jefferson Road. After a few complaints from constituents, he convinced MDOT to review the intersection again. “The data suggests that it’s time that we do that, that light was scheduled to be replaced next year anyway, so at that time we’ll also add a left turn signal. It’s a good outcome for a legitimate concern.” Shirkey said.

Lastly, we all want the roads fixed, but we also don’t want to be inconvenienced while they’re being fixed; but it’s a necessary evil. Senator Shirkey warned us that things won’t be easing up any time soon. This is a good thing for the streets, but residents will need to be prepared for continued detours. “What people are experiencing this summer in road construction, is only going to increase next year, and increase the following year.” Shirkey said.